Goals Soccer Centres has said it is enjoying a post-World Cup bounce after returning to sales growth in the period since the end of the tournament.

The East Kilbride firm said World Cup-themed products and promotions drove a rise in bookings for children's parties and corporate events during the month-long competition - a trend which continued during July and August.

While poor weather meant like-for-like sales were three per cent down in the six months to June 30, the figure has shown an improvement to three per cent higher since then.

The company, which operates 37 five-a-side soccer centres across the UK, reported a slight drop in half-year profits to £3.8 million but said without the severe weather pre-tax profits would have been up to 18 per cent to £4.6 million.

The first half of the year was seriously hampered by heavy snow in the first quarter, which on average saw 23 days of trading lost per centre.

In the period, the company saw its core football bookings down, with sales decreasing by four per cent, but its birthday party bookings and corporate events were both up four per cent. Its bar sales were maintained at the same level.

Keith Rogers, managing director of Goals, said: Goals has delivered a robust trading performance in spite of the abnormal weather and a challenging economic environment.

We took advantage of the opportunity that the World Cup presented to increase interest in our key product areas."

Rogers added: "While the UK consumer outlook remains uncertain, we are confident that results for the year to December 31 will show continued growth and will be within the range of current market expectations."

Goals, which has a 41 per cent share in the branded five-a-side market, said it would open four new centres in the second half of the year - at Liverpool, Sunderland, Ipswich and Norwich - and planned to open a minimum of six new centres in 2011.

As well as opening four centres during the first half of the year in the UK, the company also opened its first centre in the US, in Los Angeles, in June.